"I think there is something unique that LGBTQ folks can provide for kids..." For this Podcast, we sat down with two Amara staff who are also proud Foster Parents and part of the LGBTQ+ community. They talk about their experiences as foster parents, Amara's participation in the 2018 Pride Parade, and advice for people in the LGBTQ+ community interested in becoming foster parents.

As a single man, Wanderley Chesim wondered if he would be accepted as a foster parent. Now Wanderley's family has grown to include 5 young men and he's become convinced that all types of families are needed for kids and youth in foster care. He reflects here about his journey of foster parenting. Wanting to Do More At some point in my life I was

In honor of Foster Care Awareness Month and Mother’s Day, we are sharing the stories of seven amazing parents through foster care. These parents inspire and challenge us! We are so grateful for their dedication and love. This Mothers Day article, from Seattle's Child Magazine, is adapted from an interview with Carla Saulter - member of Amara's African American Outreach Advisory Council, foster care advocate,

I am a social worker with the State in Family Voluntary Services. I always wanted to make a difference and make things better. And I thought the way to do that was to be a police officer. What I discovered is that it is the most unlovable children who need the most love. I was working in a group home with kids who had nowhere

Growing up, I never imagined that as a teen, I would find myself a ward of the state, living with strangers, never understanding what was happening to my family or me, and then aging out of the foster care system when I wasn't ready. 10 years after I aged out, I received a call asking me to be a part of a study on foster

As soon as I learned about fostering and adopting, I was sold! From my first day of graduate school at the University of Washington’s School of Social Work. It’s all about helping a child on a local level who needs a loving home. And Amara is inclusive. When I was in school, I heard a lot of stories of discrimination against same sex couples at

I was in and out of the foster care system for the first 11 years of my life. At 11 years old, I entered the system permanently. My sister and I were in foster care for two and a half years before we found our forever family (through Amara!). My foster/adoptive parents were told not to expect much from me as I would likely not

When we choose a community partner for Tutta Bella to work with, we ask them, “What are some of your challenges?” Amara told us that for the kids who cannot return to their families, there’s a lot of anxiety for the families and the children who go through the adoption process: months of vetting, paperwork, meetings at the office. But the day comes when the

It’s interesting how life prepares you for things. I became an accidental relative caregiver in 2004. A couple of my relatives were placed with me and the state said it would just be a little while -- which turned into forever because I wound up adopting them. So that helped me in the work I do now. I work with the Children’s Administration at DSHS

When I first moved to Seattle in 2009, I joined the Seattle Fire Department. A buddy of mine said let’s go to a concert in Ballard. So we’re standing around having fun. I was single. During intermission, a couple of girls were standing by us and I said, “Hey, how you guys doing? What do you guys do?” They said, “We work for a foster